Houston ICE shooting: Harris County leaders seek funding for independent investigation

HOUSTON - Harris County leaders are taking steps to launch an independent investigation into last week's deadly ICE agent-involved shooting that killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.

Houston ICE shooting: Harris County officials taking steps to launch independent investigation

During a Monday news conference, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis announced plans to ask Commissioners Court to provide funding for the Harris County District Attorney's Office to continue its own investigation into the July 7 shooting.

The announcement comes after Salgado Araujo's family and community advocates spent the past week calling for an independent investigation.

Why county is stepping in:

Ellis said Harris County has both the authority and the responsibility to investigate what happened.

"This tragedy happened in Harris County, in a neighborhood to one of our Harris County residents. We have not only the authority, but also the obligation to investigate," Ellis said. "We cannot ask the public to take ICE or DHS at their word and simply accept the account of the various agencies involved."

Ellis said he plans to bring a funding request before Commissioners Court, though he said the exact amount has not yet been determined.

District Attorney Sean Teare said his office routinely conducts independent investigations into officer-involved shootings but said this case has been different because federal authorities have not been collaborating with local investigators.

"The federal government has not invited us in. The federal government is not collaborating to this point with us in this investigation," Teare said.

He said the additional funding would help pay for prosecutors, investigators, and other resources needed to continue the investigation.

What remains unknown:

Teare said nearly a week after the shooting, local investigators still do not know the identities of the ICE agents involved.

"We're almost a week in, and no one on the state level knows who they were or where they are right now. That's unacceptable," Teare said.

Teare also said the Harris County District Attorney's Office was notified about the shooting while the scene was still active, but was not allowed onto the scene until hours after it had been cleared.

He said his office is continuing to collect surveillance video, witness statements, and other evidence while asking members of the public to submit photos and videos through the district attorney's evidence portal.

What DHS and FBI say:

In response to questions from FOX 26, the Department of Homeland Security said its Office of Inspector General is leading an independent investigation into the agent-involved shooting.

A DHS spokesperson also said FBI Houston is leading a separate investigation into the potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer.

Earlier in the investigation, DHS told FOX 26 the ICE agents involved had not been issued body-worn cameras.

FBI Houston told FOX 26 it does not discuss investigative actions and referred questions about the shooting to DHS.

What's next:

Ellis said he expects to bring the funding proposal before Harris County Commissioners Court as part of the county's budget process.

Teare said his office's investigation could take months—or even years—as investigators continue collecting evidence and seeking cooperation from federal authorities.